


Marry Christmas

by JeanneRiddle



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Normal Life, Christmas, Fluff, Gabriel (Supernatural) is a Little Shit, Little bit of angst, M/M, Making Up, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-07
Updated: 2019-03-18
Packaged: 2019-09-13 19:08:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,549
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16898268
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JeanneRiddle/pseuds/JeanneRiddle
Summary: Castiel Shurley hated two topics: Dean Winchester and Christmas. Dean caused his loathing for the holiday. Christmas used to be his favorite time of the year. And in the past, Dean Winchester would give him butterflies and make him stutter like a silly school girl. But that was three years ago. Little does Cas know, his brother has plans to make this holiday season different from the last three. And Castiel won't like it.





	1. Castiel the Christmas Scrooge

It was Christmas time once again. Castiel found it difficult to be anything but pessimistic most of the year, but Christmas was the worst for him. It wasn't always that way, he used to love Christmas and everyone he used to hang out with could agree that Cas was always the most hopeful. But life had a funny way of twisting him up and spitting him out into what he was now: a twenty-four year old man with pessimistic tendencies and a fear of commiting to any career for more than six weeks in case it turned out as bad as his last relationship. Which, of course, also meant that he had been in zero relationships for the past three years. He liked it that way, yes, it was lonely and he had certain urges still, but at least he was less likely to get hurt by someone. 

Maybe his biggest problem was that everything reminded him of the one man he wanted to forget ever existed, but during Christmas it was inescapable. Every little light, every snowflake, every needle on fake and real Christmas trees was a source to remember the one day his life had gone to shit: his wedding day.

Well, that's what it was supposed to be, anyways. He was very much still unmarried. Now he just avoided weddings in general. The last thing he wanted to do was be reminded by a friend how badly his wedding had turned out. 

Dean hadn't even bothered to show and Castiel called for weeks but the man never picked up the phone. He was very much alive, he saw him over the news all the time since he was heir to his father's corporation, and even more recently over the past few months now that the media was prickling with excitement at the fact that he was engaged to model Lisa Braeden. 

Castiel wasn't happy with that. The fact that Dean could move on but he was stuck in the past, moping around, trying desperately to get over the other man.

He'd picked the worst time of year to become a barista, that he was certain of as he watched in horror as the drink menu expanded to hot cocoa and peppermint flavored beverages. There was even eggnog on there now, and that's when Castiel turned in his resignation letter, effective immediately.

There was the problem that he didn't have anything else lined up and no way he could cover rent next month now. And it was proving to be harder and harder to get a job given his resume. No one wanted to hire someone who would just turn around and leave in the next few weeks to months.

A couple dozen job applications later, Castiel was sitting in his dark apartment, staring blankly at a turned off tv screen when his phone buzzed.

_Cassie, I know you don't like the whole Christmas scene, but I was thinking, we haven't done anything together in so long, what do you say? -Gabe_

Castiel blinked at the text from his brother a few times, rather surprised to receive one at all. It wasn't that they didn't stay in touch, it was that Cas only texted back half the time and he wasn't a fan of the back that Gabriel would go for drinks with Dean from time to time despite being there for the Christmas disaster that had been Castiel's wedding. 

Castiel had no idea why, especially since he'd always thought that Gabe would've taken his side on the matter since it was his heart that had gotten broken that day, but Gabe always said that he didn't take sides. He was the Sweden of friendships.

_Castiel Shurley, you should answer my texts, or I will call you constantly for the next twelve hours. -Gabe_

_It's eight in the evening! -CS_

_Yep. That would be one sleepless night for you. -Gabe_

_It would be for you too. -CS_

_I can live off of coffee for a day of getting you to talk to me. -Gabe_

_Now, about hanging out together for once. -Gabe_

_What did you have in mind? -CS_

_Just us at the old lakeside cabin. I figured you'd enjoy the reprieve from the good ol' Salvation Army Bell Ringers. -Gabe_

_When, Gabe? -CS_

_Well, tomorrow if that's okay. The gas money I wired to you has gone through on my end so you're set to travel, mi brotherito. -CS_

_I hate you sometimes. -CS  
_

_That's the spirit. See you in fifteen hours. -Gabe_

_Sixteen hours. I need to pack. -CS_

_Sweet dreams! -Gabe_

_...I hope you have nightmares. -CS_

_I love you too. -Gabe_

Castiel woke the next morning, not at all feeling excited for the trip, but he had made a compelling argument for escaping the out of beat bell ringing donation seekers on every street corner.

The drive to the cabin was very uneventful, three hours of nothing but snow, cars and trees, and christmas radio if he turned on his stereo so it was quiet other than the hum of the engine. 

There were two cars in the driveway already and Cas didn't recognize one of them. He supposed it could've been his parents, they were doing quite well due to his father's writing. He found the spare key tucked under the first step to the porch, where it always was and made his way inside.

"Marco." he called, trying to get a sense of where his brother was in the house.

"Polo!" he heard the call from the family room and made his way over. 

"Honestly, I can't believe you're making me spend Christmas with y-" he paused as he looked around the room. Two people that definitely should not be in it were in it. 

* * *

Castiel could remember the wedding as if it had happened yesterday, the feeling of elation and excitement that coursed through him all morning. He'd hardly been able to fall asleep the night before due to just how ready he was to be married to Dean Winchester. They'd been together for years and now it was finally happening.

The planning for this day had gone on for months. A Christmas wedding, he could hardly wait. He had on a simple grey suit with a red tie, and Dean was going to wear a matching suit with a green tie. Cas spent a lot of time imagining just how much Dean's wonderful green eyes would stand out with that tie to compliment them. 

He had spent nearly an hour making sure his hair was not too wild, combed and gelled, but not to the point where he reeked of nothing but hair gel. He couldn't believe how lucky he was, to be so in love with his best friend.

He was at the church, mingling with people and admiring how it all looked. There was garland draped from the arches that supported the ceiling, with hundreds of ornaments, ribbons and poinsettias adorning them. There were Christmas trees by the alter, donned in the same decorations as the garland. The priests had even hung a little mistletoe over the altar.

Soon it was an hour after the ceremony should've started and there was still no sign of Dean. Sam, Gabe, and Cas had all been trying to call him but he didn't pick up any of their calls. Slowly the crowd that had gathered to see them get married, offered their apologies and left. It was ten in the evening when it was just Gabe, Sam and him sitting on the steps at the altar, staring at their phone screens as if that would get the missing groom to call them.

Sam let out a sigh.

"I'm so sorry that he didn't show, Cas. It makes no sense. I know he was looking forward to this... I'll figure out what went wrong today, promise." Sam assured, resting a hand on Cas' shoulder. He'd been trying to be strong this whole time, but Sam was leaving and that meant that there was no hope left.

Gabe brought Cas to his house and after drinking an entire bottle of wine, and crying his heart out, he fell asleep and woke up the next morning in the spare bedroom Gabe had.

* * *

As the memories flooded through him, he stared at Dean's face, trying to figure out why the hell the bastard was here at the family lake house.

"Gabriel... What's he doing here?" Cas asked, forcing his voice to be even as he refused to take his eyes off a very awkward looking Dean Winchester, before grabbing his older brother's wrist and dragging him off to speak to him privately.

"He and his... Lisa... will only be here for a little while." Gabriel assured, sneaking behind Cas and blocking his way to the door. "At least stay for dinner?"

"I can't believe you're doing this to me." Cas growled, sighing heavily. "Alright, fine, but don't expect me to be hospitable."

"You get the master bedroom." Gabe called as Cas made his way upstairs to retreat from the unwanted guests.

"Gabe, do you really think this is a good idea?" Dean asked, peeking around a corner to look at the man.

"I'll admit, there are a couple bumps in the road, but he didn't scream at you or throw a nearby vase at your head despite it being the first time he's seen you since D-Day, so that's a good sign."

"That's one way to put it. I don't know, Gabe, it feels a little late to be doing this. I mean, I know that you mean well for both of us, but I don't know... maybe I lost my chance..."

"I will not have my brother hate Christmas forever." Gabriel said seriously, patting Dean's shoulder.

"Don't you think this could backfire and make him hate me even more?"

"Only with that attitude. Come on, Dean, you gotta try harder than this. You just sat there like an awkward puppy at the pound." 

"Fine... I will try, but I don't really feel comfortable with Lisa here." 

"Lisa's a cover story for your old man. I'll keep her distracted this trip, you just focus on wooing back my incredibly lonely brother."

"I think I should give him some time."

"Agreed. You do have until the forth." 

"I don't think he'll be happy to spend two weeks in the same house as me."

"I've got it covered, Deannie-boy, just relax and enjoy the ride."

Dinner was oddly silent. Cas was sitting next to Gabe, and Dean and Lisa were across from them.

"So..." Gabe started and Cas stood abruptly.

"I can't do this. Bye. Let me know when they're gone." Cas growled, leaving the dining room and slamming the front door. 

"Five, four, three, two, one..." Gabe counted down and in a moment the front door flew open again.

"What the fuck did you do to my car, Gabe?!" Cas shrieked and Gabe held back a chuckle. Dean and Lisa and he went to investigate the driveway. Every car there was suspended on bricks and very clearly missing every tire.

"I'll have you know that I didn't touch your car." Gabe promised, patting Castiel's back. Cas was seething, staring at the cars as if willing them to sprout tires so he could escape this hell.

"So you're saying someone made off with our tires?" Dean asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh, no. Just temporarily relieved us of the burden of owning that much rubber." Gabe chuckled, heading back inside.

"What do you mean?"

"The tires will be returned on Tuesday."

"That's why you wanted me to stay until dinner, so that one of your friends could take our tires and leave us stranded here!" Cas realized, glaring at his brother.

"It was Sammy."

"Sammy?!" Cas and Dean screamed in unison.

 


	2. Hell's Shift to Heaven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm really grateful for the traffic this story has been getting. Thank you all so much for your kudos. I'd love to hear what you think too, comments really make my day! If any of you are interested to see what other Supernatural fics I have in store, I have a survey where you can vote on what you want to see next on my website: jeanneriddle.weebly.com  
> I hope you enjoy this next chapter!

Castiel spent the rest of his evening sulking in bed. He'd be stuck with Dean Winchester and his fiance until Tuesday? He couldn't imagine how he'd survive that. He knew he'd have to come out of his room eventually, but honestly, he wasn't ready to face this. He was certain he'd never be ready to face this. 

Dean, on the other hand, spent most of the next morning and afternoon convinced that he had made a mistake listening to Gabriel. When Castiel still hadn't come out of his room and it had been nearly twenty-four hours, Gabriel handed him a plate for dinner.

"Take this up to my brother," Gabe suggested, smiling supportively. 

"Gabe, I'm the last person he wants to see," Dean said with a heavy sigh.

"Wrong. He'll be completely pissed at me until you both make up, and he definitely doesn't want to see Lisa." Gabe countered, pushing him towards the stairs. "He'll want to see you the most out of all of us."

With Gabe's pushing, he finally went upstairs and stared at the door he knew was Cas' nervously. He swallowed thickly and knocked on the door.

"Hey, Cas? I brought you dinner," he called awkwardly through the door. There was no response and Dean got a little worried. "Come on, you can't starve yourself and lock yourself away until Tuesday."

"Don't call me 'Cas.'" Castiel said quietly on the other side of the door. Dean relaxed, glad Cas was alright.

"Alright. I'm sorry, Castiel..." Dean amended, the full name feeling foreign on his tongue. He couldn't remember the last time he'd called him Castiel. "Can I come in?"

Slowly, Dean opened the door, peeking into the room tentatively.

"I never said yes," Castiel complained, eyes slowly falling on Dean.

"Well, you need to eat," Dean argued, approaching him and setting the plate on his lap. Castiel stared at the plate and then Dean. "Gabe made it, but he was pretty insistent I take it up to you." 

"I'll never understand him." Cas sighed, picking up the fork tentatively. 

"If it helps, I don't think anyone will ever understand him," Dean admitted, slowly sitting down at the edge of the bed. 

"Why did take your side?" Castiel demanded, knuckles turning white as he gripped his fork.

"Cas-Castiel, it's more complicated than that."

"Oh, is it? Because I waited at that church until they kicked me out. I called for weeks and you never picked up. I waited... and you left me behind..." Castiel growled before pointing at the door. Dean's eyes followed his finger and he sighed softly, nodding in understanding. He stood, making his way to the door but he paused, looking at Cas with a soft expression.

"I'm not asking you to forgive me, Cas...tiel... I could never ask you to do that." he murmured, and with that, he gently closed the door and found Gabriel leaning against the wall across from him, shaking his head.

"You were only in there for three minutes." Gabe scolded, crossing his arms.

"Yes, that was about how long Castiel could tolerate my company," Dean explained, trudging off to his room and closing the door. 

* * *

Castiel was six years old when he first met Dean Winchester. John and his boys had just moved to the neighborhood. Chuck and Becky Shurly had lived there with their two boys for as long as Cas could remember. 

It had been a sunny day and Gabe and Cas had gone to the park. For Gabriel, the park provided a paradise where he could trick gullible kids into believing myths or old wives tales that would cause these poor kids to either have nightmares for weeks, or they'd eventually get into trouble with their parents. Gabe was nothing, if not a prankster. Perhaps the saddest part was, the same kids would always fall for whatever new thing Gabe brought to the park. The older Shurley would spend a lot of his free time at home researching new material for the payoff he would always get in humor.

Castiel's perception of the park was different. Cas was not the most social of kids so instead, he found his enjoyment in observing natural or playing in the surprisingly well-maintained sandbox. Today, his choice had been the latter. Dean had sat down next to him as he aimlessly drew in the sand with a stick, quiet as he watched.

"What are you making?" he asked after a few moments. Castiel let out a surprised yelp, so zoned out in thought that he hadn't even noticed his company. He looked the boy over and calmed down.

"I'm not sure yet," Cas confessed. Dean was quiet for another few seconds before standing and offering his hand to shake.

"I'm Dean." he introduced and Castiel tentatively shook his hand. Cas never really liked his name. He got bullied a lot in school because it sounded 'like a girl name,' and it made him hesitant to share it. If Gabriel ever had the same problem, he escaped it by shortening his name to Gabe, but Castiel did not have the same luxury.

"My name is Castiel..." he quietly said, looking at the ground as if expecting the usual treatment of his name.

"Castiel?" Dean questioned thoughtfully. "That's a really cool name! But it's kind of long. Can I call you 'Cas' for short?" Castiel looked at Dean with an expression of pure surprise and Dean withdrew. "Unless you don't want me too."

"No. 'Cas' is fine." Castiel agreed with a nod. Dean smiled, scooping up some sand with both hands and pouring it over Cas' shoe. "What are you doing?!"

"I'm making a sand Castiel," Dean said with a cheeky chin. "Let me know if the sand gets too itchy or heavy and I'll stop." 

Soon Cas was buried up to his neck in sand and Dean stopped to admire his work with a smug expression of pride.

"That's the best sand Castiel I've ever made," he said decisively, nodding in approvement.

"Do you make many sand Castiels?" Cas asked skeptically, raising his eyebrow but smiling despite himself.

"Nope. This is my first. But that automatically makes it the best, right?" Dean reasoned with a chuckle. "Do you need help out?" Castiel shook his head, let out a playful roar and shifted until the sand fell away and he pretended to be a monster to which a delighted Dean played along, being a defensive military of a town. They swatted sand at one another, giggling happily. 

Well, until Dean accidentally got some sand in Castiel's eye. The brunet boy bent over, covering his eyes as he blinked the sand from them and Dean frantically apologized.

"Hey, Winchester, are you bullying my brother?" Gabriel asked with a glare, rushing over to stand between them defensively. 

"What? No, I-" Dean tried to defend his actions but Castiel stepped around Gabe and between them.

"We were playing. It was an accident." Castiel explained sternly and Gabriel looked at his brother with a mildly surprised but accepting gaze and nodded. He'd never seen his brother play with any kids and this prompted him to consider his new classmate a moment. 

"Alright. Thanks for telling me, Castiel." Gabe murmured, ruffling his brother's hair affectionately before going back on his way. 

That was the start of a strange dynamic of friendship that started between two sets of brothers. 

* * *

Castiel finally came out of his room the next day and Gabriel looked rather ecstatic about this fact.

"Cas, you've come out from your brooding space!" he greeted victoriously from the kitchen, wearing a cheesy 'Kiss the Cook' apron. 

"I can brood out here, you know," Castiel muttered halfheartedly. "What's your intention behind this?"

"I wouldn't do this to you if I didn't think it would help," Gabriel promised, reaching out for his brother's hand and giving it a supportive squeeze. 

"What if I'm not ready for this? What if I'm never ready for this?" Castiel asked, voice barely more than a whisper. The sizzle of bacon could be heard over him. 

"I love you, little brother. And you're stronger than you think you are." Gabriel said firmly, ruffling Castiel's hair. "I hope you're ready to make some spectacular gingerbread houses." 

"I hate you, Gabe," Castiel said with a scowl, but there was no venom to his tone. Gabriel just let out a hearty chuckle. Lisa and Dean came down the stairs and Dean paused when he spotted Cas sitting in the kitchen watching his brother cook. "Don't just stand there awkwardly, Dean."

"Right. Yeah." Dean cleared his through and leaned against the wall while Lisa sat next to Cas. 

"So what did Dean do to you?" she asked curiously and Dean turned pale. Castiel just forced a smile.

"It's a long story. A boring one," he assured dismissively. He was less than keen to reveal that Dean didn't bother to show up to their wedding to Dean's current fiance. Dean seemed to relax.

Gabriel set three plates on the counter and served himself his own food.

"Eat up, everyone. Soon we shall be providing homeless gingerbread men with roofs over their heads." Gabriel said dramatically, causing Lisa to let out an amused laugh. "Split into two teams. Lisa and I. Dean and Cas." 

"Gabe!" Dean protested but Gabriel ignored him, pointing to the dining room. 

"We'll be working in separate rooms to avoid cheating. Whoever has the best gingerbread house wins." With that, he guided Lisa to the dining room and closed the door separating the rooms. Dean sighed, shifting awkwardly under Castiel's gaze.

"I'm sorry about this." Dean murmured sincerely, looking like a guilty puppy. Castiel shook his head.

"To be fair, I never imagined that Gabe would be this persistent. I don't imagine you were any more prepared for it than I was." Cas reasoned, looking at the array of candies and bags of frosting in front of him. "Though, I'm a little concerned how long he's been planning this."

"Yeah... He's been planning this for a little under three years..." Dean confessed with a blush. Castiel dropped a bag of frosting and looked at Dean with narrowed eyes.

"Three years? We've been broken up for three years." Castiel reminded, glaring at him. 

* * *

Castiel and Dean were best friends, no one could argue that fact. Growing up, it was more shocking to see Dean without Castiel trailing a few feet behind him like a little puppy. They'd been friends for a decade. Dean had gone through high school sweethearts like they were candy and now it was his senior year and he was determined to find a stable relationship and keep it. 

That made Castiel anxious because he'd realized halfway through puberty that he had the biggest crush on his best friend, and it was torture enough watching him date girls he couldn't maintain a relationship with. He couldn't imagine watching Dean get serious with a girl. And he certainly didn't think his inevitably broken heart could handle it.

Their dynamic changed in the most interesting of ways.

Gabe liked throwing parties. And Chuck and Becky knew this, so as long as he kept the house under manageable circumstances during the party he was allowed to through them whenever Chuck and Becky when to their lakeside cabin for the weekend. Tonight was no different. The parents were out so that Chuck could get a little extra writing done, and so Gabriel hosted a party.

There were at least thirty teenagers present, and despite this fact, there was no underage drinking. The evening was half spent when Gabriel pulled Dean away from a conversation with a girl out of his league and to a quieter area of the house.

"Man, what did you do that for?" Dean protested with a sigh, running his fingers through his hair. "I was getting somewhere with her."

"Yeah, and then you'd date her for two weeks at most and you'd complain that you still haven't found 'the one.'" Gabe mock-gagged. "God, you're such a romantic."

"I am not." Dean denied, crossing his arms. 

"Uh-huh. Well, do you want a stable relationship or not?" Gabe questioned, raising an eyebrow. 

"You know the answer to that." Dean countered, leaning against the wall with a heavy sigh.

"Maybe you're looking in the wrong place." Gabriel reasoned, with a gentle smile.

"What do you mean?"

"You've been trying to get girls who don't know you to like you. But maybe you need someone who already likes you." Gabe suggested, watching Dean's face morph between confusion and hope.

"There's a girl that likes me?" he asked hopefully.

"Well, not a girl... but there is a guy who's pretty much in love with you," Gabe admitted, thinking a moment how to explain this.

"A guy?" Dean questioned, a little surprised but not entirely opposed to the idea. "Who is he?"

"You don't know?" Gabriel smirked a moment before growing serious. "It's Cas."

"This is a prank, isn't it?" Dean sighed heavily. "Cas doesn't like me like that. He avoids touching me. He doesn't want to date me."

"He's respecting your space," Gabriel argued. "This isn't a prank, Dean. I'm being serious. I've heard your name moaned from his bedroom a couple times."

"He can just be horny, you know." Dean countered, glaring.

"You don't see the way he looks at you when he knows you're focused on something else," Gabe stated, looking Dean in the eye. "Trust me, Dean, my baby brother is head over heels for you. Do what you want with that information, but please know that you're torturing more than just yourself everytime you walk into another doomed-to-fail-relationship." 

And with that Gabriel left the room, leaving Dean alone to contemplate the newly given information.

Castiel was sitting out on the patio, staring up at the sky. He wasn't a big fan of large parties so he'd often escape by going into the backyard for some much-needed solitude. Dean knew exactly where he'd be and sat down next to him to gaze at the stars as well.

"What are you doing out here? Is the party over?" Castiel questioned, glancing back at the house.

"No. No, it's still going strong. I just thought maybe you'd like a little company?" Dean ran his fingers through his hair awkwardly.

"Oh." was all he got in response. And it was quiet again. They sat together for about a minute and Dean cleared his throat, breaking the silence.

"So... what do you think about Anna?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Anna? I don't really know her." Castiel confessed, confusion appearing freely on his face. "Why?"

"Well, I was considering asking her out," Dean admitted, shifting awkwardly in his spot. "But a lot of my girlfriends complain that we spend a lot of time together. So I want to make sure that you get along with the next person I go out with."

"You mean Anna." Cas held back a sigh. "You've never asked my opinion on who you date before."

"Maybe that should change." Dean reasoned, taking a deep breath and daringly pressing a nervous kiss to Castiel's cheek. This, of course, caused Cas' brain to shut down and he stared blankly at the Winchester.

"I... Um... I... What?" Cas tried to string together an understandable sentence but the last thing he'd ever expected in his life was for Dean Winchester to kiss his cheek.

"Oh... well, um, Gabriel mentioned that you might like me... and I was thinking maybe it was time to try something new..." Dean explained nervously.

"But... what about Anna?"

"Uh... I mean, I know that relationship wouldn't last, even if I put my all in it." Dean admitted. "I can't guarantee that I'll be the best boyfriend... I'm definitely not used to dating men... So if I seem awkward, just be patient with me. And if it's not for me, we will still be best friends. I'm not letting our friendship die because we didn't work as a couple. I like you too much."

"You... want to try dating me?" Castiel questioned, brain trying desperately to understand what was going through Dean's mind.

"If it's alright with you, yeah," Dean answered, watching Castiel nervously. Cas sat quietly for a moment, weighing his options. He pressed a kiss to Dean's cheek and scratched the back of his neck.

"I'd like that," Cas confessed quietly. 

* * *

Dean and Cas started work on the gingerbread house, carefully assembling it to, at the very least, avoid suspicion from Lisa. Of course, Gabriel couldn't allow the quiet to continue. A few moments after they got started, a few notes from a song they both knew very well started to play in the other room, causing them to tense. Their song.

_I never meant to be so bad to you. One thing I swore that I would never do._

Somehow the lyrics seemed to fit better after the fallout of their wedding than it did before. Those sentences resonated with Dean.

_One look from you and I would fall from grace. And that would wipe the smile right from my face._

It was Castiel's turn to relate.

_Do you remember when used to dance? And incident arose from circumstance._

This brought back memories of their first kiss. 

* * *

 

It was a winter themed dance. That was all Dean could really remember in regards to theme. But that didn't make the night any less important to him. It had been Cas and Dean's first public date and he could remember how cute the brunet looked in his white suit and ice-blue tie. It was a strange change for him, seeing Cas as cute or beautiful. It had never actively crossed his mind before, but his brain had been running on those descriptions of Cas since the night they agreed to try a more intimate relationship three weeks ago. And every day, his adoration of Castiel Shurley only grew, in small part, because their relationship had already lasted longer than most of Dean's other romantic endeavors.

Dean had chosen to wear a grey dress shirt, black slacks, and a white tie. And they looked great together. They spent most of the night dancing together, which was an incredible feat because Dean had never really enjoyed dancing. But Castiel was light on his feet, and there was just something so incredibly pleasing about the sweet giggles that would escape Dean's date when he would spin him around. 

Sam and Cas were sure that the moment a slow song played, whatever had brought on this romantic behavior in Dean would end, but they were proven wrong immediately. Dean would hold Cas' hand, lace their fingers together, pull the brunet closer, and sway with him while resting their foreheads together. Cas would stare up at him in awe and wonder.

Heat of the Moment by Asia came on and although it wasn't exactly a slow song, Dean continued to stay as he was, content being close to his date. Their gazes locked and Dean offered a tender smile, which Castiel returned. He slowly inched his face closer to Cas' until he could feel the brunet's gentle but nervous breath against his face, lips only an inch away. 

Castiel's eyelashes fluttered shut, and Dean finally pressed their lips together tentatively. He was afraid to move until he felt Cas' hand thread through his hair and pull him closer. With that encouragement, he deepened the kiss, letting out a happy hum. They spent a good majority of the song kissing, Dean eagerly learning what Cas liked. He determined that Cas would let out a hum that teetered dangerously on the edge of a moan whenever his tongue slipped into his mouth. By the end of the kiss, Cas was leaning against Dean as if he'd lose balance otherwise.

Dean determined in that moment that he didn't like Cas, he loved everything about him. And the cheery revelation hit him full force.

* * *

 

Later in the evening, Cas found himself locked in a family room with Dean while Gabriel presumably showed Lisa around the yard while there was still light outside. 

"I am going to lose my mind," Castiel confessed, sighing heavily. "Gabriel just doesn't give up." 

"It is kind of impressive," Dean admitted, biting his lip. "I'm sorry about this. I know you probably hate being forced to spend time with me.

"I just don't understand why you want me back in your life. You made it incredibly clear that you wanted nothing to do with me three years ago." Cas explained, sprawling on one of the sofas but his expression quickly changed to anguish. "Oh, god. Is that mistletoe?"

Dean looked up to find a sprig of mistletoe hanging above Cas and he held back an amused chuckle.

"It would seem so," Dean confirmed, blushing a little.

"I hope that Gabriel is just hoping this is a cheap attempt to get us to kiss." Castiel's insistent gaze forced Dean to meet his eyes. "Did you tell him about what we used to do with mistletoe?"

"No. I swear to god, I did not." Dean promised, gazing up at the mistletoe with a little terror in his eyes. 

* * *

It was Dean and Castiel's first Christmas as a couple. Cas had just arrived at Dean's new apartment, glad to be out of the cold as he shrugged his coat off and admired the few sparse decorations that Dean had set out for the holidays. He cuddled up on the couch with his boyfriend, nuzzling his face into the crook of Dean's neck with a happy hum. 

"Gee, I missed you too, Cas," Dean mumbled with a chuckle, gently rubbing Castiel's back. They hadn't seen each other much since Dean had insisted that he unpack on his own.

"I did miss you, you know," Cas replied, muffled. Dean smiled, pressing a gentle kiss to Castiel's hair. 

"I can tell. You didn't notice that I hung up some mistletoe and that we're sitting under it." Dean teased with a playful smirk. Cas pulled back just enough to look up and blushed. 

"Mistletoe, huh?" Dean nodded in confirmation and a devious smirk appeared on Cas' lips. He shifted to straddle one of Dean's thighs, cupping the blond's cheeks and kissing him passionately. 

Dean gave an approving hum, hands resting on Castiel's hips as he returned the kiss. The kiss was long and heated, and occasionally, Dean would let out a wanton moan when Castiel's thigh brushed against his groin.

"Cas... I... Um... I've been taking it slow with you..." Dean said in a husky voice, still kissing him hungrily. "But if you want me to continue to hold back, I'm going to need you to stop teasing me for a moment..." 

"You've been holding back?" Cas questioned, raising an eyebrow as he stopped kissing Dean to look at him. Dean's cheeks were tinted pink, and his lips were slightly red and swollen. And Cas was certain he'd never seen anything more beautiful in his life. "I thought you just weren't ready to go that far since I'm... you know... not a girl." 

"What?" Dean looked surprised. "No! That's not it. I promise. I just... I was thinking maybe it was sex that was ruining my relationships... And I really, really like what we've had over the past almost year... I didn't want to compromise it if sex is really the problem..."

"You're worried you're bad at it?" Castiel asked in disbelief, with how great a kisser Dean was, it was hard to imagine him being anything but amazing at sex. "I don't think it was the sex," he assured, brushing Dean's short hair away from his face.

"You think it was something else?" Dean questioned, worry flooding his features. "Man, Cas, what did I do? I promise I'll make it up to you."

"No, no. You didn't do anything." Cas assured with an amused chuckle. "You're amazing." He kissed Dean firmly to prove his point. "I was just thinking, it was probably me. We spent so much time together, your girlfriends probably got jealous..."

"I can't blame them for that," Dean confessed, nuzzling into Cas. He hugged Cas close to him, burying his face into the crook of Cas' neck. "God, I love you..."

"What?" Castiel's mind went blank. They'd been dating for close to a year now and that was a phrase he wasn't sure he would ever hear.

"I love you, Cas," Dean repeated, pulling back to look at his boyfriend with a nervous expression. Cas blinked a few times before a grin formed on his lips. 

"I love you too, Dean," he admitted, resting their foreheads together. "So much." 

Castiel shifted off Dean lap after a moment, leaving Dean looking confused and minorly disappointed at the distance between them now.

"What's the matter?" he questioned and Cas merely replied with a reassuring smile, shifting so he was sitting on the floor looking up at Dean from between his legs. Dean stared at him a moment, mind suggesting some rather lewd ideas of what Cas could be doing on his knees. "Um... You're not... are you?"

"And if I am?" Castiel asked, hand tentatively seeking out the button on Dean's jeans.

"I... Holy shit... Really?" Dean gazed at Cas as if he expected him to say it was just a prank.

"Do you want me to?" 

"Yeah." The word was ripped from Dean's throat before he ever had a chance to stop it, voice an octave higher than usual and face so red that Cas contemplated for a moment that all of his blood had rushed to his face.

Dean watched as Castiel's fingers carefully undid his pants and freed his frankly straining member. Just the thought of Castiel touching him made him harder than he should be. Cas viewed it with fascination, fingers daring to touch it. 

"I... wow..." Cas whispered, digits finally wrapping around it. Dean gave a moan in response. 

"Cas... Please stop teasing me..." he begged, hand resting on Castiel's shoulder. "Please."

Castiel's lips found their way to the tip of Dean's cock and he let out a quiet groan as those plush lips wrapped around him and took him in. His hand instinctively gave Cas' shoulder a squeeze before seeking out the man's hair and tangling his fingers in it.

Taking that as encouragement, Cas started sucking eagerly, occasionally stopping to swipe his tongue along the underside of Dean's cock. Dean was in paradise, head thrown back as Cas pleasured him. He moaned Castiel's name every time that surprisingly clever tongue flicked over his leaking slit, which was rather frequently after Cas caught on to this. And when Cas started bobbing his head, he couldn't take it.

"Cas! I'm gonna - oh, shit!" Dean tried to warn him but the moment Cas swallowed around him, he came down his throat with a cry. 

Cas wiped the corner of his mouth and looked up at a blissed-out Dean with a satisfied smirk. Dean was panting, eyeing a devious looking Castiel as his brain tried and failed to reboot. 

"I thought you were a virgin..." Dean murmured after a moment.

"I am," Castiel confirmed, shifting to cheek Dean's cheek.

"But that was amazing!" Dean exclaimed in disbelief, causing Cas to chuckle. 

"I'm a hormonal seventeen-year-old." Cas countered, gently tucking away Dean's softening member and fastening his pants. "I've seen porn." 

Dean blinked a couple times and then chuckled, pushing Cas onto his back and kissing him passionately. 

"You're perfect." he murmured, hands trailing down to Castiel's groin to palm him through the fabric. "My turn."

It became an inside joke of theirs that whenever they ended up under some mistletoe, a blow job was never far behind. 

* * *

Castiel stared at the plant as if willing it away but it continued to stay there, mocking him. Instead, he turned his attention towards a topic that had been bothering him since earlier that morning.

"Dean... Why did you leave this morning? You almost kissed me, and I almost let you, and then you left." Castiel murmured, shifting to look at the blond. "Is it Lisa?"

"No. No, Lisa... she's alright... I guess... I don't really know her. We've seen each other a total of thirty times and all of those times have been press interviews." Dean explained, awkwardly combing fingers through the hair at the back of his neck. "Dad insisted I marry her. It's more of an arranged marriage than anything..."

"So, if not Lisa, why?" 

"Because I wasn't about to force you into something you don't want," Dean said seriously. "I mean, yeah, I went through with Gabriel's idea to play parent-trap. But you don't love me anymore and I'd be a dick if I forced myself on you. I wanted to kiss you this morning, I really did. But I knew it wasn't what you wanted."

"I'm about to do something incredibly stupid..." Cas mused, standing and pulling Dean into a kiss.

Dean melted.


	3. The Truth Behind Dean's Absence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I know, I'm incredibly late and I apologize. I've been reorganizing my life in hopes of having more time to do things like writing. I hope to have the last chapter done soon but until then, enjoy the smexy times. ;)

Dean gently rested a hand on Castiel's chest, pushing gently to make space between them. Cas' eyebrows furrowed together and he looked up at Dean in confusion.

"What? I thought you wanted to kiss me this morning." Cas questioned, crossing his arms.

"Are you kissing me just because of that?" Dean asked in turn, biting his lip and looking away. "I don't want pity kisses, I want things to be like they were." 

"What do you take me for?" Castiel rolled his eyes and plopped back down on the sofa. "I wouldn't kiss you out of pity."

"Why did you kiss me then?" Dean retorted, narrowing his eyes.

"I'm starting to regret it." Castiel groaned, rubbing his temples. "Let's just call it a moment of weakness and be done with this conversation." 

Dean sighed but nodded, watching Castiel in contemplation. He blushed.

"What is it now?" Cas growled in annoyance.

"You're still under the mistletoe..." Dean explained, looking away awkwardly. Castiel looked up and buried his face into his hands.

"What do you care? It's not like you're going to blow me." Cas counted, rolling his eyes. Dean hesitated a moment, swallowing thickly.

"Would you like it if I did?" Dean asked, voice huskier at the thought of seeing Castiel pretty and pleasured for the first time in far too long. Cas shifted awkwardly under Dean's gaze before giving one slow nod.

"Y-yeah..." Cas admitted with light pink cheeks. Dean considered Castiel a moment before climbing onto the sofa next to him and kissing him once more. Cas returned the kiss eagerly, fingers threading through Dean's hair as they explored each other's mouths with their tongues. Their hands felt around each other's bodies, noticing the differences that had occurred in the last three years. Dean broke the kiss to rest his forehead against Cas'.

"You're so much thinner now..." he murmured, concern showing in his eyes.

"I rarely have much of an appetite..." Cas explained, tensing. His own hands took a moment to feel Dean's chest under them and he blushed. "You're fitter now..." 

"I work out when I'm frustrated... which is pretty often." Dean supplied, pulling Cas closer. "You're still so beautiful..." 

"Y-You think so?" Cas asked with a blush, shivering in minor delight as Dean brushed a short strand of hair behind his ear.

"Yeah, I do. You're gorgeous, Castiel." He kissed him again, tenderly rubbing Castiel's side with his thumb. He pulled Cas onto his lap, running his fingers down his spine and smirking when Cas shuddered. 

Castiel clung to Dean, hips moving on their own accord. Dean let out a small groan, hands cupping Cas' ass. Dean made sure he had a firm hold on Cas. 

They kissed like that until they heard the front door open and then they scooted apart. Gabriel opened the door to the room and smirked as he observed the ruffled hair and swollen lips on Cas and Dean.

"Hey, guys." he greeted casually, making his way through the kitchen. Cas blushed and slugged his way up to his bedroom, deciding he very much needed a moment to work out his life decisions. 

Just how desperate was he? Yeah, he hadn't been shagged in three years but to slink back to Dean like that? He had to be insane. Yeah, Gabriel's crazy shenanigans had to have finally pushed him off the edge of insanity. He sighed heavily as he stared up at the ceiling, sinking into the mattress and covering his face in shame. It felt so good to have Dean's hands all over him like that again, to hear compliments like 'gorgeous' and 'beautiful' leave him so freely. His heart pounded as his mind replied the moments before and he grabbed at his shirt, pulling it off and throwing it harshly against the window. 

"I'm losing it. God, I'm such an idiot." he groaned, rubbing his face. "I need a cold shower." he rushed to the bathroom, stripping down and slipping under the cold stream of water hesitantly. 

He spent the remainder of the evening in his room, not sure he could control himself if Dean were too close to him again. And he was sure that Gabriel would work to make him sit next to the man.

Soon it had been four days. Dean would come by with meals, but he'd leave them at the door in case he had pushed some sort of boundary, letting Cas know the food was there with a knock. Cas was confident that he could last the last twelve hours before his tires were returned and try to forget this ever happened. 

He woke to a soft knock on his door, disoriented. He glanced at the clock and raised an eyebrow as he saw that it was one in the morning. Tentatively, he opened the door to find Dean standing awkwardly in the hall. 

"Hey..." the Winchester greeted quietly.

"Hey...?" Cas repeated, eyebrows furrowing. He swallowed thickly, spine straightening. 

"I don't suppose we could talk?" Dean asked, shifting under Cas' gaze. 

"Talk?" he asked, blinking in disbelief before stepping to the side and letting Dean into his room. "It's one in the morning. What could you possibly want to talk about that couldn't wait until morning?"

"I wanted to apologize for my actions the other night..." Dean admitted, looking rather sad. 

"Apologize?" Castiel gritted his teeth as he repeated the word, fists clenching. "I take it that you regret it then?"

"I... I'd be lying if I said that I did, but I... know you don't love me anymore... It was wrong of me to take advantage of you..." Dean explained, biting his lip. "I didn't imagine that you wanted to have this conversation over breakfast before you left... so... I figured I would talk to you now." 

"I see..." Cas swallowed thickly, scratching the back of his neck since he could think of nothing better to do with his hands. "You didn't 'take advantage' of me, Dean... Kissing you was my decision." 

Dean looked at Cas for a moment, considering how to reply. He had not expected Cas to deflect his apology like this. 

"I don't suppose... you'd let me kiss you one last time? I'll never bother you again..." Dean asked, hope flitting through his features. Cas' features morphed through confusion, surprise, and contemplation. Slowly, he nodded, Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed in anticipation. This would be one of the last interactions they had together, and all things considered, it was better than the last interaction they had before. 

Dean slowly pressed his lips to Castiel's giving him plenty of opportunities to back out but when he did not, his arms tentatively wrapping around Castiel's waist and drawing him nearer. Cas' hands tangled into Dean's hair once more, letting out a hum. Dean groaned when Castiel's tongue slide across his lips, pulling back ever so slightly. 

"Keep that up, and I will not want to stop, Castiel..." Dean warned, arms starting to remove themselves from Castiel's hips.

"Then don't," Castiel replied back, hands seeking Dean's wrists to return his hands where they were. He kissed him again, pulling him against him. 

Dean smiled against his lips, returning the kiss and licking over his lips. He kissed him hungrily, walking Cas backwards to the bed. They fell onto the mattress, absorbed in each other's touches and lips.  Cas grabbed at Dean's shirt, fingers eager to feel his skin below them. Dean clung to Cas as if his life depended on him, his own digits daring to tease the edges of Castiel's pajama pants.

Cas couldn't help but notice how despite being apart all these years, their kisses hadn't changed. Dean was notably more passionate than he remembered, but perhaps that had to do with their time apart. 

Slowly their clothes found their way to the floor in a haphazard pile, Dean adoring kisses over Castiel's neck and shoulders as he ground their hips together. Cas tilted his head back to reveal as much skin to Dean as possible, desperate for more touches and kisses. 

Dean's kisses trailed lower as the man nibbled and sucked slightly, leaving an array of hickeys wherever his lips went, most of them likely to fade before the sun rose. Castiel's shaft was guided into Dean's mouth and Cas couldn't help but let out a high-pitched, frustrated groan as the blonde teased him with his mouth. His tongue trailed up and down either side of his shaft, occasionally pausing at the tip to lavish the slit with attention. 

"I... Dean... Oh!" Cas moaned, running his fingers through his hair and watching as Dean's mouth continued to tease him. "I need..."

"Shh..." Dean cooed, rubbing Castiel's thigh soothingly. "I know... I've got you," he promised, licking over the sensitive slit one more time before shifting. "Got any lube?"

"The d-drawer..." Castiel pointed to the nightstand, shivering in anticipation the moment Dean's hand reappeared with a small bottle of lube.

Dean poured some over his fingers, frowning at the cold texture. He rubbed his hands together and once the lube was warm enough to his standards, he pressed his fingers to Castiel's puckered hole, painting it with the slick gel. He slowly pressed one finger in, distracting Castiel with a searing kiss and giving his love plenty of time to adjust.

Dean slowly hooked his finger, pressing it to the sensitive bundle of nerves inside him. Cas let out a rather loud moan and Dean smiled tenderly.

"Shh, do you want Gabe to hear you? He'll never let this go." Dean murmured and Castiel covered his mouth, a small blush covering his features.

After a few more thrusts of his hand, Dean added a second finger, once again stilling it to give Cas a few moments to adjust. He spread his fingers slowly, smirking as Castiel tried to contain the beautiful noises leaving him.

Dean added a third finger, kissing Castiel's forehead to soothe him. Soon, he couldn't wait anymore and after a few slow thrusts of his fingers, he removed them. He poured more lube on his hands, warmed it up and coated his aching member. He lined himself up with Castiel's entrance and pushed in slowly, groaning quietly as Castiel clung to him.

"God, you're so tight..." Dean murmured in awe, shifting to kiss Cas as they both adjusted to the feeling that had become regrettably unfamiliar in the last few years. 

"I... It feels like you've gotten longer somehow..." Cas admitted, slowly relaxing back into the mattress.

"Nope, same as I've always been," Dean assured, brushing a strand of hair out of Castiel's face. "I think we're both a little out of practice, though..."

"Well, I haven't really had sex since we were together..." Cas confessed, blushing brightly. 

"Neither have I," Dean promised, kissing Castiel's nose.

"You haven't?" Cas asked, eyes widening.

"Of course not." Dean slowly pulled out only to thrust back in, causing Castiel to let out a surprised cry of pleasure. "So much for Gabe not knowing..." 

"I'll smack him if he brings it up tomorrow," Cas grumbled, kissing Dean passionately.

"You and me both," Dean assured against Castiel's lips, breaking the kiss to start a steady rhythm. Castiel's legs wrapped around Dean's waist and Deah took that as encouragement, thrusting eagerly. 

"Ah... Oh, Dean... I'm... I'm close..." Cas warned, letting out a keening whine when he felt Dean's hand wrap around his member.

"It's okay, Cas... me too." Dean murmured, adjusting the angle to better brush against Cas' prostate. He felt Cas tighten around him and the warmth of his cum cover his belly and couldn't hold on any longer, spurting inside him with a cry of Cas' name.

The two laid there, cuddled together in a dazed state. Slowly, Dean shifted and laid on his back next to Cas, panting softly. 

"Wow..." 

"I can't believe I just did that..." Cas groaned, hiding his face behind his hands in shame. "You're engaged. And- and- and... you don't even like me in a commital way!" 

"That's not true..." Dean murmured softly, pressing a kiss to Castiel's forehead. He grabbed a handful of tissues and started to clean Cas off gently. Castiel peeked at Dean from behind his fingers, eyes narrowed. 

"So you not showing up for our wedding three years ago was just coincidence?" Cas countered and Dean shook his head. 

"Me not showing up for our wedding three years ago was the biggest mistake of my life," Dean replied, a sad expression overtaking his features. "I owe you an explanation." 

"An explanation?" Castiel questioned skeptically. 

"Cas, I wanted nothing more than to marry you. God, I was so excited that morning, I hardly slept a wink." Dean started, giving Castiel's hand a squeeze. "My father showed up at the door and I was so happy because I thought he'd finally come around and was going to support _us_. But he had different intentions..." 

* * *

Dean stood in front of the mirror, straightening his tie and taming his hair. He heard a knock on the door and his brows furrowed together as he tried to predict who it could possibly be.

"Dad?" he asked outloud when he saw his father at his doorstep. He smiled brightly. "You really came." 

"Yeah, Dean, of course, I came," John replied, his smoothest smile appearing on his lips as he stepped inside with his usual guards trailing behind him. "To make sure you don't attend that God-forsaken wedding." 

"What?" Dean asked, eyes widening in horror as the guards closed and blocked the door. "You can't do that, I love Cas. I'm marrying him!"

"I thought you were going through a phase but it's been four years and you're still with him. You're the heir to a large mechanic corporation, Dean. You can't afford to have gay tendencies. You have our company's reputation to uphold." John said sternly.

"I don't care about the company. I don't even want it." Dean murmured, trying to shove at the two much larger than him men at the door.

"Dean Winchester, you will not attend that wedding, and I will tell you why," John growled, arms crossed. "If you attend that wedding, your little boyfriend will be killed. I've hired an assassin who will only fire if he sees you attend."

"What? Dad, how could you do something like that? What the hell is wrong with you?" Dean asked, wiping away a tear he felt drip down his cheek.

"I'm doing what's best for you, Dean. It's best you forget about that Castiel boy and get on with your life. You have so much potential." 

"What's to stop me from going to Cas after this bullshit is over?" Dean questioned, glaring at his father.

"The assassin his hired indefinitely. You so much as show your face near that boy and he will die. This is how it's going to be until you finally realize what an idiot you're being." John stated, straightening his jacket. 

Soon it was well past midnight and John Winchester finally left Dean's apartment. Dean scrambled out the door as soon as his father's car had disappeared, pulling on his coat and going to the only place he could think to go, Gabriel's place. 

He was greeted immediately with a hard punch to the jaw, Gabriel hunched over him, seething with rage. 

"What the fuck are you doing here, Winchester?" Gabe growled as Dean cradled his jaw. 

"I was hoping you might have something strong. I could use it right now." Dean answered, wincing. 

"Like I'd give you a drink after the shit you pulled today. Do you have any idea what you did to my baby brother by not showing up to your own goddamn wedding, asshole?" 

"I didn't have a choice!" Dean replied and Gabriel paused. 

"What do you mean?" he asked in a low growl.

Dean hesitated before explaining the events of the day. Gabriel finally let him in to drink, watching as the man broke down in tears over his glass of liqueur.

"I know I hurt him today... I never wanted to... It was supposed to be the day we got married!" he cried, downing his third glass. Gabriel considered Dean for a few moments before deciding that Dean really didn't have a choice in the matter and was hurting possibly more than his little brother who was currently passed out in the guest room. 

"Dean, what's to stop the assassin from killing Cas when you're here?" Gabriel questioned and Dean's face grew solemn.

"He's here?" he questioned, panic lacing his voice. But after a moment he calmed down. "The assassin is trailing me, according to my father. So he'd have no way of knowing that Cas is here. Cas should be safe as long as I'm not in the same room as him. But Cas can't know about this." 

"Lemme guess, if Cas shows any signs of having any idea what's going on, he'll be dead?" Dean nodded gravely and Gabriel let out an annoyed sigh. "Your old man is a piece of work." 

After several more drinks, Dean passed out on the couch, but he made sure to leave before Cas woke the next morning.

 

 


	4. A Christmas Wedding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And... it's done. I'm sorry this took so long for me to get out. Writer's Block is the worst. I realize that this story isn't the greatest, but I would like to let you know that if any of you are interested in reading any more Supernatural content from me, you can vote on what I should post next at jeanneriddle.weebly.com. Thanks for your suppose and as always comments and kudos are greatly appreciated!

Cas woke the next morning to find himself curled against Dean, head pressed against his chest. He nuzzled closer, fighting off the sleepy haze that was still gripping his mind. He was honestly happy that last night hadn’t been a dream… but there was also the fact that John Winchester hated him so much that he wasn’t above the idea of killing him just for being near Dean.

Another subject that weighed on him was Lisa. Sure, Dean didn’t love her, hell, he barely knew her, but the fact remained that Cas had slept with a taken man. The guilt of this fact was slowly starting to seep through him. He let out an annoyed groan, slowly shifting out from Dean’s arm and putting on his pajamas. He quietly left the room and padded downstairs to find Lisa in the kitchen, looking over the selection of wines they had. 

“Hello, Castiel.” She greeted without looking at him. Castiel’s blood went cold. It was six in the morning and Lisa was perusing the wine. That really could mean only one thing: that she caught onto his and Dean’s activities last night. Castiel swallowed thickly.

“H-Hello, Lisa…” he returned the greeting, trying his best to sound normal despite the guilt that was now hitting him full-force. “...I’m so sorry…”

“There’s no need to be.” Lisa replied coolly, finally detaching her gaze from the wine rack to give him a reassuring smile. “I mean, yeah, he’s my fiance, but I don't know him. It’s hard to feel attached or betrayed when you don’t even have a meaningful relationship, you know?” 

“So why are you eyeing the wine collection if you don’t feel hurt or betrayed?” Castiel asked carefully, trying once again to swallow the lump in his throat.

“Gabriel suggested I pick a wine to go with dinner tonight.” Lisa shrugged, leaning against the counter. “Do you still love him?”

“I do…” Cas admitted with flushed cheeks and her smile returned. He hated how easily she could read him.

“I’m glad someone does. I barely know him, but it always seemed like the only person in his life who cared about him was Sam.” Lisa mused sympathetically. 

“You’re really alright with this? Me and him?” Cast questioned in disbelief. Lisa nodded. 

“Him breaking off the engagement means that I get to pursue my own romantic endeavors too.” she mused. “He’s a sweet guy but a real relationship never would’ve worked between us. Ever since Day 1 I knew his heart belonged to someone else. And a week ago, I realized that someone was you.” 

“Thank you, Lisa. It means a lot to know you’re not pissed at me.” Cas murmured sincerely. Lisa let out a little chuckle.

“You should probably go talk to your brother. I understand that he’s got some plans for the day that he’d like to discuss with you.” she mused, returning her attention to the rack filled with wine bottles.

Castiel slowly made his way back upstairs and knocked on Gabe’s door. Gabe answered with a grouchy grumble, which immediately turned into a sleepy grin upon seeing his little brother.

“Lisa said you have plans for the day?” Cas asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I do. Need to discuss them with both you and Dean, though.” Gabriel smirked. “You seemed to enjoy last night.”

“Shut up! We’re not talking about this.” Castiel said abruptly, voice pitchy and cheeks painted pink. 

“Whatever you say. I’m happy for you though. You two deserved to work out your differences.” Gabe mused, yawning. “It’s six in the morning. I’m going back to bed. And you should too. Really, five hours of sleep isn’t good for you, Cas. Go cuddle your boyfriend.” 

With that, Gabe shut his bedroom door and Cas turned to look at his own door. He slowly returned to his room, finding Dean still sleeping rather peacefully. He stripped back down and crawled back into bed. Dean stirred at this. 

“Where were you?” Dean asked through a bunch of sleepy slurs.

“Bathroom.” Cas fibbed, knowing that just mentioning his talk with Lisa would Cas Dean to wake up completely and he wanted to sleep with the man a little longer, if he was completely honest with himself.

The two of them drifted into a comfortable sleep and by the time they woke up again, it was nearly 10 a.m. Castiel heard a clicking noise, brief but loud enough to get him to stir. It was obvious by the way Dean tensed under him that he had woken as well. The source of the clicking noise turned out to be a camera and Dean, being exposed to that sound quite regularly, recognized it immediately. 

“Gabe!” the blonde man growled and a chuckle that was distinctly not Gabe’s was his reply.

“Nope. Guess again.” Castiel’s eyes fluttered open to land on none other than Sam Winchester who was looking at the camera, or more specifically the picture on its screen, with what could only be described as the face a parent makes when their so proud of how their child has grown up. 

“Sammy… What are you doing here?” Dean wondered, sitting up to properly look at his brother. He was careful to maneuver the blankets to maintain both his and Castiel’s modesty. 

“Well, it is Tuesday. I returned the tires. Cas can leave now if he wants, though Jesse and I were hoping to see a little more of both of you for the next week.” Sam murmured, raising a brow at Castiel as if to ask what his plans for the day were. 

“I’m staying.” Cas murmured and a bright smile appeared on both Winchester boys’ faces. 

A moment later, Gabe was strolling into the bedroom as well with his usual cocky smirk. 

“Doesn’t either of our brothers know what privacy is?” Castiel asked with exasperation. Both Sam and Gabriel shrugged simultaneously.

“What can we say?” Sam retorted. “We wanted to talk to you both about today and neither of us are very patient.” 

“Ironic that a prick who went through law school has no patience. Gabe, I get, but you, Sammy?” Dean questioned in disbelief. 

“Well, this was a matter that we’ve waited long enough on.” Sam answered and Gabriel nodded his agreement, uncharacteristically quiet.

“Christmas?” Castiel questioned with a raised eyebrow. Gabriel snickered. 

“Christmas is pretty great. But we were actually talking about you two boneheads finally tying the knot.” Gabe commented. Cas and Dean went silent. 

“Guys, I can’t. I’m not going to throw Castiel’s life into danger like that.” Dean protested. Castiel honestly didn’t know what to say to any of the three other guys in his room. 

“That’s noble of you, Dean. But your happiness is also important to me, and I know that being married to Castiel would be a dream come true for you.” Sam retorted.

“We haven’t been idle over the last three years, you two.” Gabriel added. “We’ve been planning a way for you two to be married without John killing you, Cas.” 

“We do have a solution. But it would require blackmailing dad…” Sam confessed and Dean’s brow furrowed. 

“Blackmail him? How? The man so careful about what tracks he leaves, it’s more likely to be killed by a vampire!” Dean exclaimed. Gabe rolled his eyes.

“Vampires aren’t real, Dean.” 

“Exactly!” 

“Look, there is a way we can get him to slip up, but we need you both to be married for that to happen.” Sam redirected the conversation to the topic at hand. 

“So let me get this straight: if I want to be with Dean, I have to risk my life to save my life?” Cas questioned skeptically. Gabe and Sam nodded. 

“We’ve got the paperwork. And we kept the rings. It’s not a big old church wedding, but you will have four witnesses.” Gabe explained with a smile.

“Can Dean and I have a moment to discuss this?” Castiel asked. Again their brothers nodded. “In private?”

“Of course.” Sam agreed, pushing Gabe out the door. “Come on, Gabe. We should go talk to Lisa while we’re at it.” The door closed and Cas and Dean were left sitting in a heavy silence. 

“You don’t have to…” Dean said in a tiny whisper. “If you don’t want to, you don’t have to marry me…” 

“Dean…” Cas was frankly at a loss for what to say. He never expected their brothers to have shown up with a marriage certificate and their unused wedding bands. Honestly, he’d given up entirely on marrying Dean Winchester. He’d reserved himself for the pessimistic, antisocial behavior he had exhibited over the last three years. To be offered the thing he’d wanted so badly at one point in his life, he simply had no idea what to do or say. He took a deep breath. “I think I prefer this to the church wedding…” 

“What?” Dean hadn’t expected that. He bit his lip. “Really?”

“Yeah. I mean, we’re getting married in a place that matters to us with people who matter to us… What more could we want?” Cas smiled as Dean pulled him into a kiss. 

“It’s settled then.” Dean murmured, hardly pulling away at all. “Will you, Castiel Shurley, marry me on this fine Christmas morning?” 

“I think I will, yeah.” Castiel teased, pulling him into another kiss. 

They took a shower, got dressed, and by noon they had signed the papers with Lisa, Jesse and Sam, and Gabe present as witnesses. It wasn’t particularly hard to notice how Lisa and Gabe seemed to stay within three feet of one another for the rest of the evening, and when questioned about it, Gabe and Lisa chuckled. Turns out sarcastic and playful were traits that Lisa found attractive and now that she wasn’t committed to Dean, she wanted to explore what a relationship with Gabriel would be like. And they spent the holidays at the cabin until the forth rolled around. 

Blackmailing John turned out to be an easy feat when the man was fuming about how Dean and Castiel had strolled into their main building of business holding hands and kissing occasionally with Sam on their heels. He let slip that he would rehire that assassin and then Sam revealed that they had recording devices on all of them that were streaming to select people who would go unmentioned in case John was merciless enough to try to send an assassin after those people as well. He also mentioned that should either Dean or Cas die of anything that was suspicious, those recordings would be sent to the police to do with as they please. 

John complained that Sam was his lawyer and should be on his side, to which Sam reminded that he was also Dean’s lawyer, and in cases like this, he could pick whomever he wanted to side with. He had chosen protecting Dean and his new family over paternal bonds that apparently didn’t mean much to John anyway.

Shortly afterward, Dean and Castiel were falling into bed, exhausted from the stress of confronting John Winchester. Cas was curled against Dean’s chest, eyelids drooping as he listened to the steady heartbeat of his husband. The last thought he had before sleep overtook him, was sheer gratitude that he got the marry the sweet man beneath him. 


End file.
